Not christmas
by A Snake revu
Summary: Parker never had a birthday party before. But now that she has a family, they decide that's gonna change.


To Aku: I'm sorry. This is nothing I ever promised to you or that you wished for, but now you got it, so I hope you approve. My current Leverage addiction doesn't allow me to write anything else. Please argue with my muse if you feel like it, she's probably sitting in your kitchen drinking tea anyway. I just couldn't miss the chance to write more Parker and bickering with Eliot and Hardison and to get you a little more addicted to this series (I'm evil, I know. I feel vaguely guilty).  
This was also never planned to be so long, but it kinda happened. So I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had fun writing (I swear, the bickering parts just happened!) and this still counts as a birthday gift if it's posted before midnight, right? Happy birthday to the best fellow writer I could ever have. :)

**Not christmas**

It was a quiet tuesday night. The team had just returned from a job in japan, and had now spent the last few hours in their office in Portland, drinking some beer - or whiskey in Nate's case - and relaxing.  
When Hardison entered through the glass doors, Nathan looked up from his book. „I thought you were going home?", he asked.  
„Yeah, I think I forgot my phone here", the hacker mumbled and started searching through the mess of cables and electronic devices on the table.  
Now Sophie looked up, too. „Where's Parker?"  
„Already home. Ah, there it is!" He held up the smartphone.  
„You never forget your phone", a low voice behind him said. Eliot was standing in the door, a bottle of beer in his hand he just got from the fridge. „You're more likely to forget your brain."  
Sophie nodded. „Yeah, what's going on?"  
Hardison raised his hands in defeat. „Alright, yeah, you got me. Forgot my phone on purpose. I wanted to talk to you guys."  
Nathan put the book aside. „You can always come talk to us, why the effort?" He looked at the younger man expectantly.  
„Yeah, but I had to get you without Parker. Damn, that girl is hard to shake off. And sneaky, with being a thief and all. Did you just notice that -"  
„Hardison", Eliot growled and sat down on the couch between Sophie and Nate. „You getting to a point there?"  
„Alright, alright! You just got no patience, man." Hardison settled down onto the other couch. „Can anyone tell me the date we got on Thursday?"  
Eliot raised his eyebrows in a way of asking 'The point?', but Sophie answered: „15th November, why?"  
„That's Parkers birthday."  
„Oh", she said. „I didn't think that would happen."  
„Even Parker's got a birthday", Hardison said.  
„Yeah, I'm actually more surprised that she told you."  
„She's my girlfriend!", he exclaimed.  
„Yeah, she's also still Parker", Eliot remarked.  
„So what, what you you want, I mean, you want us to plan her birthday party, right?", Nathan asked. „That's why you wanted to talk to us."  
The hacker shrugged. „Well, yeah."  
„What, we're celebrating birthdays now?", Eliot interrupted, somehow upset.  
„We celebrated christmas", Nate pointed out.  
„Yeah, and wasn't she cute with her dress and the presents and santa?" Sophie smiled at the memory.  
„That's different", he growled.  
„How's that different?", Hardison asked exasperated. „Look, if you don't want to celebrate your birthday, fine. But Parker never had a family to have birthday parties with. And we're her family now, we should do it for her. I think she would love it."  
For a moment, everyone was silent.  
„Hardison's right", Sophie said. „We're her family now, we should celebrate her birthday."  
„So we plan her birthday party, then", Nathan decided. „I mean, we just conned a japanese bilionaire out of his own company, we can manage a party, right?"  
„Eliot?", Hardison asked.  
„Okay, fine", he grumbled. „But I'm not decorating."  
The hacker grinned. „That's all I wanted."  
„Oh, can I do the decorating?", Sophie asked.  
Nathan stood up and started pacing. He was already in his element. „Okay, Eliot, can you take care of the food? Sophie decorates the office – Hardison, what about presents? Anything that Parker wants?"  
„Eh, yeah...I made a note in my phone whenever I got an idea. Really man, girl got no wishes, all she wants is money, but i think I figured some things out."  
„We only have two days left", Eliot complained. „Couldn't you've told us a bit earlier?"  
„Hey, we were practically wearing coms 24 hours for the last two weeks, remember? How was I gonna do that?"  
„Okay, guys, guys, no need to panic. We're a crew, right? Let's steal ourselves a birthday party."  
„Well, technically, were not stealing anything", Hardison mumbled, just as Sophie asked: „And what are you going to do?"  
Nathan smiled. „I'm the mastermind. I do the planning."

„Something's weird", Parker said as she snuggled against Hardison on the couch.  
„What you're talking about, what do you mean, weird?", he asked. Inwardly, he sighed. Of course she picked something up. Parker wasn't really a social person, but damn was she perceptive sometimes.  
She grabbed some popcorn from the bowl on the table. On the big flatscreen a blue policebox just appeared in a deserted spaceship.  
„I don't know. Everyone's – wrong", she said and bit down on the popcorn. With her mouth full, she continued: „Eliot was late to the meeting."  
„Probably talked up some chick on the way, you know how he is", Hardison answered lightly.  
„Eliot's never late", she mumbled with a frown on her face. „And Sophie looked at me today."  
„Yeah, why shouldn't she look at you?" Hardison put an arm around her shoulders. „You worry too much, girl. It'll all be fine. Just sit back and enjoy the episode. And I gotta say, this is a really great episode, because this spaceship's got a connection to prerevolutionary France, and ..."  
Parker let him ramble on about Doctor who, but she couldn't shake this feeling that something just wasn't right.

„Isn't this too early for a meeting?", Parker asked as they walked down the street toward the restaurant.  
„Seems like Nate picked up a new client, probably got all excited. Like we didn't just spend weks on the last job." Hardison sighed.  
As they reached the door of the restaurant, he suddenly stopped. „Ah, damn. I forgot the CD in the van."  
„What CD?", she asked.  
„Some infos on potential marks, it's right on the table, can you go get it? I'm gonna bring this in", he pointed at the small backpack on his shoulder.  
She furrowed her brow. „What's all that stuff, anyway?"  
„Just technical stuff. You going back to the car?"  
„Yeah", she said hesitant, and he threw her the car keys.  
Hardison looked after her as she crossed the street and then hurried into the restaurant. Good they parked their cars a few blocks away, just to be careful. How did Eliot put it: With the stuff they did, there was no such thing as paranoia.  
The restaurant was buzzing with customers, he nodded at Amy as he hurried by and stepped into the office, out of breath. „Guys, please tell me you're ready."  
„Eh – nearly", Nathan said. „You got the presents? Put them there."  
Eliot was standing on a chair and helped tying a white blanket with writing to the ceiling.  
„I thought you're not decorating", Hardison commented as he started unpacking the backpack. Someone hit him from behind. „Don't remind him!", Sophie scolded.  
„Alright, alright!"  
She smiled up to Eliot. „Maybe a bit more to the left?"  
He rolled his eyes, but complied with a huff of annoyance.  
Hardison started arranging the packages on the table.  
„Nice wrappings, did you do that all by yourself?", Eliot asked as he stepped down from the chair.  
Hardison crossed his arms. „Yeah, I did do that all by myself. Took me hours. Don't mock my gift-wrapping skills!"  
„I'm not, they're really pretty! Well done!" Eliot grinned.  
„Guys, hurry up!", Nathan interrupted. „Okay, everyone ready? Sophie, come over here."  
They had barely managed to line up in front of the table, when they heard Parker's voice: „Alec, I can't find this CD, just a bunch of USB sticks -" She opened the door and immediately froze, mouth wide open in surprise.  
„HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PARKER!", they all called out.  
Hardison thought that he'd never seen her speechless before. It made him smile, the way she was just standing there, staring. When she found her voice again, she just breathed „Guys...", like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.  
They had cleaned up the office (it was probably the first day since their move-in without any of Hardison's stuff lying around) and hung up garlands. The writing on the blanket read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST THIEF' and there was a small stack of presents on the table behind their backs.  
Hardison stepped up to her. „Happy Birthday, girl", he said and pulled her into the hug.  
He let go of her when she started bouncing on her heels. „For me?" She moved and pulled at one of the garlands that were hanging from the ceiling. „Um, Parker", Sophie said, but she had already pulled one end down. „It glitters", she said and smiled. „Thank you!"  
„Actually, there are presents", Nathan said.  
„Presents?" She let go of the garland. „But it's not christmas. Can you get presents when it's not christmas?"  
„It's your birthday, we'll make an exception."  
Her eyes were gleaming in anticipation as she tried to snatch a look at the table. „Presents for me?", she whispered. She was looking like a child on – well, christmas.  
„Okay, who wants to go first?", Nathan asked.  
„Oh, can I be first? Which one's my package?", Sophie asked. Hardison handed her one of the smaller presents.  
„Happy birthday, Parker", she smiled and gave it to her.  
Instead of ripping open the wrapping like they expected her to, she first started to feel the package and then held it to her ear and shook it lightly.  
„You know, it helps if you open it", Hardison said with a grin.  
„It's not money", Parker stated. „What could it be if it's not money?"  
„You gotta give us some credit for imagination, Parker, it's not like we'd just repeat your christmas present", Nate said.  
Sophie almost started to chew her fingernails. „It's nothing big, just open up!"  
The blue wrapping paper fell to the floor and Parker's hands held a silver picture frame. „Oh", she smiled. „That's us!" The frame contained a photograph with the whole team, taken on a job in Miami last year.  
„I thought you could maybe use some decoration, but nothing over the top", Sophie explained.  
Parker pressed the frame to her chest. „It's like a family photo."  
„Girl, that is a family photo", Hardison said. „We're your family, remember? And families do birthday parties and stuff."  
Parker grinned from ear to ear. „Okay, next one. Who's next? More presents!" She bounced on her toes.  
„Okay, ehm, then I'm next", Nathan decided. The package he lifted from the table was considerably larger than the others. „Happy birthday, Parker, and I'm sure you'll put this to good use."  
This time, she opened the present without much shaking or poking. „New climbing gear! How did you know?"  
„The fact that we had to leave your last one in Brazil was kinda a hint", Hardison mumbled.  
„It's not tested yet, but I'm sure you'll find a willing subject."  
Eliot chuckled lowly and Hardison looked decidedly uncomfortable as Parker beamed at him.  
As she caught a look at the table, she furrowed her brow. „There's only one present left", she pointed out. „But two people."  
„That's cause my present doesn't need a fancy wrapping", Eliot said.  
„Hey, don't mock my wrapping! I put a lot of time in that."  
„I like your wrapping", Parker said.  
„See? She appreciates it. Duly noted, no wrapping paper for Eliot on his birthday."  
„You don't even know when my birthday is!"  
„Could still hack your personal record to find out. Don't push me!"  
„Eh, guys", Nathan threw in. They turned around.  
„Presents?", Parker asked with a wide smile.  
„Alright, this is just a little bit creepy. - You gonna get her present or what?"  
„Where is it?" Parker looked confused as Eliot lifted a small cooler from behind the couch. „It's a box", she pointed out.  
„Yeah, I know it's a box, open up", Eliot grumbled impatiently as he held the cooler out for her.  
She lifted the top and peeked inside. Then she sniffed. There was a glinting in her eyes. „Smells like chocolate", she whispered. „Did you get me chocolate?"  
Eliot couldn't help but grin. „Something like that."  
„Like crack to an addict, I'm just sayin'."  
Sophie nudged Hardison with her ellbow. „It's her birthday, let her have her sugar rush", she said patronizing.  
Just then Parker fully opened up the box and looked inside. „It's cake! Cake made of chocolate!"  
„Careful, careful", Eliot mumbled as she put the cake on the table. She took another sniff. „Uuuh, chocolate..." She turned around and gave him a wide smile. „Thank you!"  
Hardison eyed the top of the cake, decorated with chocolate cream. „And you mock my wrapping? Dude, how long did that take?"  
„Shut up and give her the present, Hardison", Eliot growled.  
„Okay, okay...one birthday present coming po!" Parker looked at him with anticipation as he stepped up to the table and took the last package. „Happy birthday, Parker." He smiled and handed it to her.  
She almost seemed hesitant to open it.  
„Go on, open up", he encouraged her. „I hope you like it."  
She started fiddling with the paper. Beneath the wrapping was a cardboard box that she opened slowly. She threw a glance inside, then put her hand in and felt around.  
„God, Parker!", Sophie moaned.  
„It's cool. And hard, like metal. Like a chain...and something else." When she pulled her hand back out, she held on to necklace with a pendant in form of a gleaming colourless crystal.  
„Ooooh." She looked at it with wide eyes. „Is that the lost diamond of Catanzaro?", she whispered in awe.  
„I can't believe it!", Sophie called out. „Where did you get that? I don't believe they sell that on ebay."  
Hardison shifted. „Actually, they do. Because that's not the original."  
„What?"  
Parker tilted her head and stared at the diamond. „Where's the real one?"  
„The real one is in possession of a guy called Mark Dunbar, he owns a couple companies big in software business and reportedly had the diamond stolen from the original owners in 1989 for his wife – which, by the way, he divorced in '94. Can't have been the great love. Oh, did I mention he's gonna be in Vancouver next month?"  
Parker looked up. „You mean I can steal it?", she asked.  
„Sure. I mean, doesn't belong to him anyway, right? There's a usb stick in that box with all info you need."  
„Thank you!" She hugged him, the fake necklace still dangling from her hand. He kissed her on the forehead. „Everything for my girl."  
„Aaaw, that's sweet", Sophie said and leaned against Nate. „Aren't they romantic?"  
„Yeah, I hear a certain undertone somewhere in there", he answered slowly.  
„There is no undertone! Do I have an undertone?" She looked around.  
„So, basically you gave her an opportunity to steal something?", Eliot asked incredulous.  
„Why not, you gave her a cake!"  
„There's nothing wrong with my cake!"  
„Guys!" Parker's serious stare made them shut up immediately. She took a deep breath. „Let's have cake."  
„Finally, I've been staring at that thing for the last minutes", Sophie said. „I think we need forks and plates from the kitchen."  
„I'll go get it." Hardison turned for the glass doors.  
„See", Eliot said with a huff, „there's nothing wrong with my cake."  
„This is the best birthday ever", Parker mumbled as she put the fake necklace on.


End file.
